SO what’s your favourite way to stop hiccups? Do you prefer sucking a lemon, holding your breath or even standing on your head?

Everyone claims to know a cure that works for them. But now hiccup sufferer Chuck Ray has invented a gadget which, he believes, will end the infuriating attacks for good.

He is so confident the Hiccup Stick will work that he is offering buyers a money-back guarantee. “As far as we know, the Hiccup Stick has never failed to stop hiccups,” he boasts. The stick recreates the traditional cure of drinking water upside down – but without the mess.

Like many discoveries, the idea came accidentally after Mr Ray got the hiccups while sitting in his office at home in Sacramento, California.

He grabbed a glass of water, drinking it with a pen in his mouth – and to his surprise, noticed it eased his symptoms.

Mr Ray said: “They didn’t stop immediately but it was enough to make me believe I was on to something.” He spent months developing the stick, which works by allowing water and air to flow through the airways.

Soon I was getting calls back from people who were amazed at the results

Mr Ray

Biting down on the stick causes the throat muscles to tense, stopping hiccups. So far 10,000 sticks, which cost around £13 for a pack of three, have been sold on the internet.

Mr Ray added: “Soon I was getting calls back from people who were amazed at the results. In every single case it worked, from kids as young as three to adults in their 80s.”